When Seattle tried police abolition

The Reducing Crime podcast episode with Carmen Best can be found at:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/35-carmen-best/id1412813382?i=1000522897562

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TGQrCTZiZaJUzQcwmrF8m?si=01ajEp_fRCKFdG6JszpOZg

Soundcloud:

Full details of the study by Eric Piza and Nate Connealy, with downloadable versions of the academic article, are at Eric Piza's home page.

The following key takeaways are copied from his page:

• Protestors gathered nightly around the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD’s) East precinct following the murder of Geroge Floyd on May 25, 2020

• The SPD abandoned the precinct on June 8, 2020 to quell the confrontations, resulting property damage, and injuries to both police officers and protestors

• The Seattle Mayor ordered SPD to disband the CHOP zone and re-occupy the police station on July 1, 2020

• In the immediate CHOP zone the crime total was 132.9% higher than a synthetic control area during the occupation period

• Crime totals were 77.5% higher and 27.8% higher than a synthetic control area in the 2-block CHOP zone and East precinct service area, respectively

• Findings indicate drastic reductions of police presence may harm public safety

• Evidence-based policing may provide a vehicle for meaningful, long-term reform